Chain-grate furnace.



Patented Mar. I9, IQOI.

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FRANK R. TIBBITTS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CHAIN-G RATE FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,257, dated March19, 1901.

Application filed April l2, 1900. Serial No, 12,647. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. TIBBITTS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andState of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inChain-Grate Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to endless-chaingrate furnaces; andit consistsin the new constructions and combinations of mechanism substantially ashereinafter1 described, and pointed out in the claims.

The objects of the invention are to improve the construction of theseveral parts and their cooperation and to improve the facilities ofmanagement of operating the furnace.

rlhe main features of the invention pertain to the peculiar constructionof the grate-sections and their mounting, together with other featuresof mechanism for carrying out the useful purposes of such furnaces.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of thecomplete chain grate as seen drawn out in front of the furnace-chamberof a boiler. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the chain grate.Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the same, showing the peculiarconstruction of the fire-surface. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective viewof one of the grate-surface sections. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the chain-links, showing the studon the inside surface which engages with the teeth of thesprocket-wheel. Fig. 7 is a view of the opposite or outside face of thesame.

A, Fig. l, represents the carriage which supports and carries all of theworking mechanism of the furnace-grate.

A' represents the extension-plates which heretofore have been attachedto the boilerfront setting, but which I have now made a component partof the carriageframe by shortening the sides of the carriage-frame andattaching said extension-plates to their forward ends, thereby reducingthe amount and weight of material used, as in the old plan. Theseextension-plates also support and carry the adjustable forward bearingsof the driving-shaft and its sprocket-wheels which carry and propel thechain grate. These platesalso support the hopper-apron and the gate,together with their operating mechanisms. The advantages derived by thusattaching these parts to the carriage are that it greatly facilitatesthe withdrawal and return of the carriage into and from thefurnace-chamber without the necessity of detaching any of the workingparts.

The endless traveling grate is composed of new and specially-adaptedgrate-surface sections mounted on angle-bars supported and carried bythe links forming the chains,which are provided with studs adapted toengage with the sprocket-Wheels,.which uniformly propel the grate. Theinvention also embraces improvements in other features of mechanisms incombination with the said grate'sections.

O, Fig. 2, represents one of the sprocketwheels for supporting andpropelling the chain grate.

D, Figs. 1,2, 6, and 7, represents the chainlinks, having eyes on cachend by which they are joined together to form the chains which supportand carry the grate-surface sections. In their upward-projectingportions are made mortises or slots for receiving the ends of theangle-bars E, which are secured therein by Cotter-pins e. On the insidefaces of the links are made studs F, projecting laterally, which engagewith and are carried along by the teeth of the sprockets.

GG, Figs. l, 2, 3, 4c, and 5, are the gratesurface sections, consistingof short bars, the top surfaces of which have nearly one-half of theirlength slightly reduced in breadth, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, and intheir sides are made vertical corrugations or grooves g g. These barshave depending webs H, which under the wide parts of the bars havereinforcing projections g g', and transversely through said reinforcedparts are made T- shaped mortises H', and at each side of said mortisesare provided projecting lugs h h, which extend laterally to the fullwidth of the upper broad faces of the said bars G, so that said lugsmeet midway between the Webs H H of the bars G and form a steadybearingsupport for the grate-sections. As will be seen by reference toFig. 4, these bars are supported near the ends under the wide parts.This makes the narrow parts project over the TOO center line whenmounted on the supportingbars, and it Will also be seen that thegratebars are placed on the supporting-bars in alternate reverse order,so that the narrow parts in one row interlap those of the adjacent row,the object and purpose of which is to provide for their self-cleaning asthey go over the sprockets. It will also be observed that thisinterlapping, together with the vertical grooves or corrugations,affords ample air-draft space without liability of fuel falling through.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. An en dless-chaintraveling grate consisting of grate-bars having partly wide and narrowtop surfaces and vertical grooves in both sides,and Webs su pportingsaid bars, provided with supportingmortises in the webs near one end andunder the wide part,and mounted in alternate reverse orderon theirsupportingbars, substantially as described.

2. An endless-chain traveling grate consisting of grate-bars havingpartly wide and narrow top surfaces with vertical grooves orcorrugations in each side, and having supporting-Webs provided Withreinforcements underneath the Wide part, and having transverse mortisesthrough said reinforced parts for mounting the grate-bars in alternatereverse order on theirsu pporting-bars, substantially as described.

3. An endless-chain travelinggrate consisting of grate-bars havingpartly Wide and narrow top surfaces with vertically-grooved sides,supporting-Webs for the grate-bars having reinforcements under the wideparts and provided With transverse mortises and laterallyprojecting lugson each side of said mortises, which meet each other and form steadysupports for the grate-bars when mounted on their supporting-bars,substantially as described.

4. An endless-chain traveling grate consisting of grate-bars havingpartly wide and narrow top surfaces having vertically grooved orcorrugated sides, supporting-webs for said. grate-bars havingreinforcements under the wide parts and transverse mortises in saidreinforced parts anked with the contacting lugs, said grate-bars mountedin alternate reverse order on angle-bars supported on the chain-links,substantially as described.

5. In an endless-chain traveling grate, a grate consisting of grate-hars.having partly wide and `narrow top surfaces with vertically grooved orcorrugated sides and reinforced supporting-Webs, and mounted inalternate reverse order on angle-bars supported in the chain-links, incombination with a drivingshaft and sprockets mounted thereon,adjustable shaft-bearings for said shaft supported in the sideextension-plates forming part of the sides of the grate-carriage,substantially as described.

6. In an endless-chain traveling grate, a grate consisting of grate-barshaving partly Wide and narrow top surfaces with vertically grooved orcorrugated sides and reinforced supporting-webs, and mounted inalternate reverse order on angle-bars supported by the chain-links, adriving-shaft having sprocketwheels mounted thereon and carrying thechains, side extension-plates forming part of the sides of thegrate-carriage, adjustable bearings supported in said side plates forsaid driving-shaft, and means substantially as described for operatingthe driving-shaft mounted on one of said extension-plates, incombination substantially as described.

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 10th day of April, 1900.

FRANK R. TIBBITTS.

Witnesses:

GEO. W TIBBITTs, CHARLES L. StrooKER.

